Opposition lawmakers criticized the response to the farmers’ protest and called on the government to defend farmers. Protesting farmers clashed with police outside the parliament building in Warsaw, Poland’s capital, on March 6. Police used pepper spray and accused some participants of violence against security forces. Thousands of Polish farmers also protested outside the prime minister’s office, demanding a halt to cheap imports and European Green Deal regulations they say harm their livelihoods. Poland’s biggest trade union, NSZZ Solidarity, backed the farmers, and hunters and forestry workers also joined the protest.
Farmers across the European Union have been calling for changes to the restrictions imposed on them by the bloc’s Green Deal plan and for the reimposition of customs duties on agricultural products imported from Ukraine. On Wednesday, farmers partially blocked some highways with tractors on the outskirts of Warsaw. Protesting farmer Krzysztof expressed disagreement with the demands of the Green Deal and restrictions on chemical products. NSZZ Solidarity’s deputy chairman Tomasz Ognisty mentioned that protesters had not received permission for tractors to enter the capital.
Earlier on Wednesday, some protesters carried and burned a coffin with a sign critical of the Green Deal. Farmers clashed with police near the parliament building, with police using pepper spray. They stated that several officers were wounded, and around a dozen people were detained. Warsaw city hall reported that about 30,000 people participated in the protest, and the city is considering repairs after documenting the damage caused by the protests. Deputy agriculture minister Michal Kołodziejczak cast doubt on real farmers causing the riot.
Opposition lawmakers from the Law and Justice party criticized the government’s response to the protest, emphasizing that the police were following orders. They called on the government to defend and not underestimate Polish farmers. While farmers were protesting outside the parliament, lawmakers proposed a resolution to ban agri-food imports from Ukraine, which was voted against by the ruling coalition. The protest also called attention to anti-Ukrainian sentiments and concerns about Russia leveraging legitimate issues. Prime Minister Donald Tusk planned to ask for EU sanctions on Russian and Belarusian farm products.